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Everyone
has a different time management system, a way of tracking
appointments and to-dos. Some use paper systems; some
use electronic; and some use a combination of the two
(what I call "hybrid" methods). I'm frequently
asked what time management system is best. The simple
answer is there is no "correct" time management
system. You must always ask yourself how your system is
working for you. I can say, however, that whatever time
management system you end up using, you need to make sure
it meets the HUG criteria:
H—Handy:
I call people who don't keep their time management
systems handy "scrappers." They are easily identifiable
by all the little scraps of paper everywhere: envelopes,
sticky notes, even matchbook covers. That's because they
don't carry their system with them to meetings or to lunch.
Not having anything to write on, they grab the nearest
available piece of paper (or write on a hand). Whether
it's a PDA, planner, or notebook, you must carry your
system with you at all times. You also need to have it
available at home in case you think of something to add.
Scheduling meetings or checking due dates can happen in
the oddest of places. If you keep your Outlook calendar
on your desktop in your office, you won't be able to instantly
schedule another follow-up meeting if you don't figure
out a way to keep your system handy.
U—Usable:
A usable system combines both your personal and professional
lives. If you've ever tried to keep separate work and
home calendars, you know you'll inevitably have conflicts.
You might be at home talking to a friend on the phone,
and she asks for a lunch date on Thursday. Not having
your work calendar with you, you're not sure, but you
think you might have an appointment. You schedule the
lunch anyway. Then sure enough, you've got a conflict.
Or at work, your team wants to schedule a brief meeting
Saturday morning, but your home calendar is, well, at
home. So you schedule the meeting, only to be reminded
when you get home that your seven-year old is in a soccer
tournament that weekend. Keep your entire life in one
place and carry it back and forth. Write your contact
information and "Reward if found" and a dollar
amount in the front, in case you should leave it somewhere.
G—Garbage-free:
You should be able to take your planner, binder, or notebook,
and shake it, without all sorts of papers falling out.
Your system is not a briefcase. Data-sensitive items should
be kept in a Tickler File (see Chapter 3 on Order). Also,
don't include unnecessary sections in your system. Get
it down to the information you actually use. Just because
your planner came with a tab for Finances doesn't mean
you must force yourself to use that form (I keep mine
in QuickBooks PRO). If you have your personal mission
statement on the computer in a Word document, you don't
have to handwrite it to put behind the Goals tab. In other
words, personalize and tailor your system to your needs.
There
are three basic methods to accomplish the HUG system:
- Sync
your Outlook information to a handheld/PDA device (Blackberry,
Treo, Pocket PC, Q, etc.) and carry it around with you.
It's small enough to fit in a purse, so it's naturally
handy, and it can't hold any paper, so it's by
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- (cont.)
nature garbage-free. However, the amount of data it
holds can be overwhelming if you don't understand
how to use the software's features.
- Double-enter
your Outlook calendar data into a central paper planner
(like Franklin Covey). This method is for people who
are required to use Outlook at work for scheduling
but don't like using or don't have a handheld device.
Add your personal commitments and family appointments
to your planner pages as well, so you have a comprehensive
view of your obligations. Get a small enough planner
so you can carry it around easily and don't store
paper in your planner. The key is not carrying two
different calendars for work and home.
- Enter
your personal commitments into your Outlook (or Groupwise
or LotusNotes or whatever) calendar at work (check
the "Private" box so others can't see the
subject). Then print the pages, carry them around
with you in a binder, and make manual handwritten
updates. Once a week, update your software and reprint
the pages.
Again,
there is no "right" or "wrong."
I'm constantly asking people, "How's that working
for you?" If they say, "Great," then
I tell them to keep doing it. Many, many people, however,
express frustration at a scheduling system that isn't
working well. Don't feel guilty. You don't have to do
whatever "everyone else" is doing. Don't feel
pressured to move to paperless if it's not your personality
or isn't suited to your work and life situation.
It's
taken me years to create the perfect system that's just
right for me. I use a "hybrid" method of a
Treo 700p SmartPhone and a Franklin Covey compact paper
planner. I enjoy having the ability to check my email
from the road. I can stay on top of important matters
from a taxi or airport gate. I like having my 5,000+
contacts in my phone, so I can call anyone, anytime.
These functions simply aren't possible with paper-only
methods. However, I don't use all the available features,
like synchronizing my Outlook calendar. I am a visual
person and can't stand tapping the screen to check my
calendar. I like having an entire month laid out in
paper and being able to see everything at once rather
than little boxes I have to tap one at a time. That
made me crazy, so I write Outlook appointments in my
paper planner. I also don't like using the Task (to-do)
features of Outlook, because I really enjoy the art
and act of writing. I like to grab a list and add to
it without having to type in my handheld. I find most
people with handhelds still carry around paper and make
lists and notes and have scraps everywhere anyway, so
I have abandoned trying to keep that portion of my system
paperless.
Again,
the system you use is totally up to you. Keep experimenting.
Check out what other people are doing. Look at their
devices and calendars. Try a handheld device if you've
been curious. Who knows? You might love it and never
look back. But don't hesitate to go back to a system
that worked better, no matter how "old fashioned"
it may be. Never feel guilty. Anything that works is
not wrong.
Make
it a productive day! ™
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